Bur-cotton thresher, cleaner, and storage unloader.



PATENTED APR. 14. 1908.

w. R. LAMB.- BUR COTTON THRBSHER, CLEANER, AND STORAGE UNLOADBR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-.5, 1907.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

5% M n M No. 884,671. I PATENTED APR. 14; 1908.

- w. R. LAMB.

BUR COTTON THRBSHER, CLEANER, AND'STORAGE 'UNLOADBR.

APPLICATION FILED mm 5, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ave/"top 'WILLIAM R. LAMB, or. BOWIE, TEXAS.

BUR-COTTON THRESHER, CLEANER, AND STORAGE UNLQADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed. June 5, 1907. Serial No. 377,451.

with elevating and distributing systems ol cotton gms for un oading, threshing, beating, cleaning and. separating the'dirt, grit, trash or other toreign matter irom-the bur or seed-cotton as it passes from the wagons or Seed-cotton house to the receivers and the feeders of the various cotton-gins, or the cotton storage house when used as an un-- loader.

The invention is applied to pneumatic elevating and distributing systems, or those which involve the use of the suction conduit or tube for taking the cotton from the Wagons or cotton-house and conveying the same to the feeders of the gins, the threshing and cleaning devices utilized in this invention being located in the length ol the suction or exhaust blast conduit so as to l'acilitote the opening of the burs and removal of the foreign matter before the cotton reaches the gins, or cotton storage house, thereby enabling the hnllers in the boiler gins to remove the burs while the saws take the seedcot-ton thus separated from the burs and gin it into marketable lint cotton at the same time dccrwsing the wear upon the gin-saws and other operating parts of the ginning i'nechanisms, conducing to long life of the ginning machines and cleaning the cotton thoroughly bel'orc the same is ginned, or stored.

This invention can readily be attached to both the air and belt distributing systems of cotton-gins or cotton storage house as will be.

observed by reference to the accompanying drawings. When applied to the bolt (listributing system the vacuum box should be removed from the belt distributor boX and the exhaust blast tan connected rectly to this machine, as will be hereinal' full explained.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledgeof the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to theflollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the invcntion'to a belt distributer of a battery of cotton-gins. Fig. 2 is a. view showing the application of the invention to a storagc'honse and to a cottongin house having apnemnatic distributer. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention on a, larger scale.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference charzwtcrs.

'lheinvention comprises a casing or framework lorming a housing l'or inclosing the operating parts. An appri)xinmtel horizontal passage 1. extends through the up er portion of the casing or framework and lias an inlet 2 and outlets 2i and l. 7 Near the inlet 2 is a pipc l which is in connection with the belt distributor so as to receive the over llow 'ol' cotton therefrom. A valve :3 controls comnnmication between the passage 1 and the inlet 2 oi the ovcrllow pipe 4, said valve being pivoted at (i and adapted to swing either into a. horizontal position, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 3, or into vertical position, as shown bvthe dotted lines in said lignrc. A valve 7 controls the outlots 3 and 4' and ma be ol any construction either pivolcd or arranged to slide. The two positions of the valve 7 are indicated bylull and dotted lines in Fig.3, When the waive 7 is in the posilion shown by full lines in Fig. 3, the outlet 3 is connected to a pneumatic dis tributcr and when said valve is in the position shown by dotted lines in said Fig. 3, the outlet 4 is in comn'iunicalion with a bolt distributor, or cotton storage house. l/Vhen one oi the outlets is open at the same time the other is closed. The passage 1 at its discharge end is downwardly inclined, as indicated at 8. )i-rolary valve 0 is located at the juncture of the hori: -.ontally inclined portions of the passage, said valve bein arranged to lit closely within a casing 10 w iich in communication with the horizontal and inclined portions of the said )assage. To insure a close lit between the blades of the rotary valveand its casing, said blades are provided with a cover 11 of rubber or other material, the edge portions of said aching material projecting so as to make 0 ose contact with the Walls of the casing. The rotary rotary valve 9 is omitted. It will thus be understood that the ap liance is adapted for use in connection with different types of feeders or distributers for a battery of cotton- 'ns, or storage house. The thresher is fic'ated intermediate the length of the appliance and comprisesa drum 13 and a concave or breast 14. The drum 13 consists of a shaft 15, arms 16, cylinder 17 and, teeth 18.

The c linder 17 is of open work and may consist o a reticulated material or wire/screen.

The shaft 15 is located about in line with the bottom side or lower Wall of the passage 1, hence one-half of the drum projects above the plane of the bottom of the passage 1 and the other half is located below said plane. A curved passage 19 is arranged above the threshin mechanism for the travel of the cotton w on freed from the'hulls. is arranged below the threshing mechanism and receives hulls andotherforeign matter. A valve 21 closes the lower end of the box 20 and is normally held shut by means of a spring 21. Similarly constructed beaters 22. and 23 are located the one above the other and at difierent points in the length of the assage and are rotated in reverse directions. Elach of these beater-s comprises a shaft 24 and arms 25. The extremities of the arms 25 are curved rearward so as to free themselves more readily from the cotton. The shaft of the beater 22 is located about in the plane of the bottom of the passage 1, whereas the shaft of the beater 23 is arranged about 1 in the plane of the topof said passage. 'The upper arms of the heaters 22 project upward into the passage -1, whereas t e arms of the beater 23 extend downward into said pas sage. While thebeaters 22 and23 are rotated in opposite directions, the arms projected into t e passage 1, travel-in the same direction and serve to advance the cotton to the pressure. The beater 22 tends to draw the cotton upward, whereas the beater 23 moves the same downward and insures its delivery vto the threshing mechanism, which is of the over-shot type; A box 26 is located below the beater 22 and is provided with a spring actuated valve 27 similar to the valve 21.

0 en work material is arranged beneath the eaters and may be of wire fabric or reticulated material. The material below the beater 22 is of half-round form, as indidated at 28, whereas the material below the beater 23 is straight, as shown at 29. The

heaters 22 and-23 clear the cotton bolls of foreign matter advance'of theaction of the Abox 20- apparatus when required. The suctionfan 12 is connected with the delivery portion of the passage 1 by .meansof a duct-3 1. A certain percentage of light foreign matter is carried off through the duct 31 and suction fan: The suction fan is designed for use chiefly to create a suction draft through the appliance when the same is fitted to a belt distributor, with .the result that the material is fed through the apparatus. 1 When the appliance is connected with a pneumatic distributer, it is not necessaryto run the suction fan 12, as the draft established through the framework by the pneumatic distributer is usually sufficient to feed the cotton through the mechanism. .It is possibleundersome conditions to close the passage 8 in any manner and to use the'suction fan 12 for effecting delivery .of the cotton after being threshed from the apparatus.

Thecotton in the bell may be taken direct either from a wa on or from a storage house, as indicated in ig. 2, and is passed through the mechanism which "removes all forei n matter, breaks up, thehulls and liberates t e cotton therefrom, said cotton after being threshed being carried to the'gins either by a pneumatic distributor or feeder, as indicated in Fig. 2, or by a belt feeder or'distributer 32 as indicated in Fig. 1.

Having thus described is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the character set forth,

the combination of a casing having an inlet.-

and an outlet at opposite ends and having a passage between said inlet and outlet, a threshing mechanism located near one endof the casing and a beater near the opposite end, and a second beater arranged between.

the invention, what A 2. In a device of the character specified,

the combination of a casing having an inlet and an outlet at opposite ends, cleanin and threshing mechanism intermediate o the ends of the casing, an overflow pipe in conncction with the receiving end of said casing, and a valve for eontrollingthe inlet and the communication between said overflow pipe and the receiving portion of the casing.

In a device of the character 9 ecified, the combination of a casin provi ed with .two outlets, the one adapts to be connected esee n with a pneumatic distributer end the other with a belt distributor, or cotton storage house, cleaning and threshing mechanisms arranged Within the casing, and e valve for r, controlling one or the other of said outlets.

,4". In mechanism of the character set forth, the combination of a casing having en inlet at one end end a double outlet et the opposite end, one outlet adapted to be connected 10 with a pneumatic distributer end the other outlet with a belt distributor, feeding and threshing mechanisms arranged in the length of the casing between the'iniet and the double .outlet thereof, and e suction mechanism having connection with the cesin ear the douer,- and having a passage, an overflow pipe in connoctiouwith the inlet end of the cesing, e valve/for controlling the inlet or the opening establishing communication between the overflow ipe and the easin avelve. for controlling tiie outlets, rotary eaters located at different points in the length of the casing, the one having its axis about in the lane of the bottom of the assage and the 0t er hav ing its axis about in line with the top of said passage, e threshing mechanism having its axis ebout in line with the bottom oi the passage, valve boxes errengedbelow the threshing mechanism and the first beater, a suction fen hevin communication With the casing between the threshing mechanism and outlets, nfnd a rotary valve arranged in the length of the casing between the threshing mechanism and the aforesaid outlets.

in testimony whereof I efiix lI1y'Slgl1fi,tLlI(-) in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. LAMB. "Witnesses:

Srnnmne P. SMITH, ELIZABETH M. G. LAMB. 

